bombard

Noun

bombard (plural bombards)

1. A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
   • They planted in divers places twelve great bombards, wherewith they threw huge stones into the air, which, falling down into the city, might break down the houses.1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC
2. (obsolete) A bassoon-like medieval musical instrument.
3. (obsolete) A large liquor container made of leather, in the form of a jug or a bottle.
   • […] yond same black cloud, yond huge one, / looks like a foul bombard that would shed his liquor.1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published...
4. (poetic, rare) A bombardment.
   • With mines and parallels contracts the space;
     Then bids the battering floats his labors crown
     And pour their bombard on the shuddering town1807, Joel Barlow, The Columbiad
5. A bombardon.

Verb

UK/ˌbɒmˈbɑːd/US/ˌbɑmˈbɑɹd/

bombard (third-person singular simple present bombards, present participle bombarding, simple past and past participle bombarded)

1. To continuously attack something with bombs, artillery shells or other missiles or projectiles.
   • The enemy's stronghold was bombarded for 3 hours straight.
2. (figuratively) To attack something or someone by directing objects at them.
   • My correspondent, who was riding in the first coach, comments that the small standard tender did not take kindly to this gay progress, and signified its disapproval from time to time by bombarding the train with lumps of coal!1954 July, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 488
3. (figuratively) To continuously send or direct (at someone)
   • I was bombarded with WhatsApp messages after appearing on the news.
   • Please don't bombard me with questions right now, I'll answer them at the end of the statement.
4. To direct at a substance an intense stream of high-energy particles, usually sub-atomic or made of at most a few atoms.

Proper noun capitalized: Bombard

Bombard (plural Bombards)

1. A surname from French.